Hello Pinkfresh friends & fans!

I'm so delighted to be here today and share with you a couple of layouts with the new Everyday Musings collection.  This collection is awesome, and so perfect for putting together all kinds of documenting ideas.  I have first a Traveler's Notebook style spread, and also an example of using the collection in your pocket page documenting.

Traveler's Notebook spreads are quickly becoming one of my favourite ways to journal more personal thoughts and special moments.  For a long time these two photos were tucked into the lamp on my desk, waiting for the perfect home, and I think this is the best place for them to be.

I started by cutting a 4.25x8.25 piece of white paper and also the dotted sentiment paper.  This isn't the exact dimensions of a TN, but I use an acrylic cover for mine and don't bind them, so it works for me.  My absolute favourite item in the collection were the chipboard frames, so I started by laying them out on the white paper.

To hold the two instax photos, I grabbed one of the little pockets and adhered it (I tried to leave the dots visible all around the pocket).  As these photos were more sentimental to me and didn't have specific journaling that I wanted to include with them, I looked to the ephemera package to provide a few little sentiments, and I quickly found little sayings that worked perfectly!

To fill in the frames, I looked to balance out the colors that I had repeating across the spread as well as to use the pieces I love the most.  I am sometimes guilty of stashing the best pieces and saving them for last, a habit I'm trying to turn around this year and use the best pieces first!

For my second project, I wanted to show you how easy it is to use a scrapbooking collection in your pocket page projects, and as springy and fantastic as this collection is, I also wanted to stretch it's versatility, as it is currently still pretty white here in Edmonton, and spring is still a long ways off.  So I used some photos from October, when I was working on cleaning up the yard and finishing up some fall gardening.  I love finding creative ways to use a collection beyond it's intended purpose!

One of the first steps I take with any scrapbooking collection is to cut down the papers.  I will cut 2-3 traveler's notebook sized pieces, and then I usually cut the rest into 3x4 cards, or 4x6 cards if I think that the pattern is a good fit for a 4x6 pocket.  I don't scrapbook 12x12 layouts myself, so I know that the best use I'll get from the papers is as smaller pieces.  This collection had a bonus because there are actually 3x4 cards that match!! The little pockets are also sized 3x4 and 3x3 so they lend themselves to be easily used in the pockets.

For the left side, I used two large papers (the green on blue, and the multi-floral) and a card from the card package (let's weather it together).  To tie together the little bits I found tags and labels from the ephemera that matched the color scheme.  I always want a little bit of fun and dimension, so I also pulled the big gold flower sticker.

The right side was easy as well, the two cards from the card set (purple cup & floral) co-ordinated perfectly with the other half, and then I used one of my favourite little plants on a piece of white paper to get another journaling card.  The pocket at the top holds a little receipt for bulbs (always photocopy your receipts if you want to include them as the heat-sensitive paper will fade with time).

Here is a look at both sides of the spread, I hope this will encourage you to use your scrapbooking collections in your pocket page albums!

- Amy Jo